Salt Dispersing Assembly

ABSTRACT

A salt dispersing assembly for spreading salt on a frozen walkway includes a hopper and a chute integrated into the hopper to distribute a granular material onto a walkway. A diffuser is removably attachable to the chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through the diffuser. A handle is attached to the hopper thereby facilitating the handle to be gripped and a grip is pivotally attached to the hopper thereby facilitating the grip to be gripped. A blower is integrated into the hopper and the blower urges air toward the chute when the blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through the chute. In this way the blower distributes the granular material onto the walkway.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to dispersing devices and more particularly pertains to a new dispersing device for spreading salt on a frozen walkway. The device includes a hopper for containing a granular material, a chute for releasing the granular material and a blower integrated into the hopper for blowing the granular material through the chute. The device includes a diffuser that is removably attachable to the chute and a funnel that is pivotally disposed on the diffuser.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to dispersing devices including a spraying device that has a funnel for containing a granular material. The device includes a nozzle that is fluidly coupled to the funnel, a valve attached to the nozzle and an air hose attached to the valve for spraying the granular material. The prior art discloses a granular spreader device that includes a tear shaped reservoir, shoulder straps for wearing the tear shaped reservoir and an outlet in the tear shaped reservoir for gravity feeding granular material out from the outlet. The prior art discloses a granular material spreader that includes a hopper, a spreader motor attached to the hopper and a spreader attached to the spreader motor for throwing granular material outwardly from the hopper. The prior art discloses a backpack spreader device that includes a reservoir, an agitator integrated into the reservoir for stirring particulate material in the reservoir, a spray hose fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a spray gun attached to the spray hose for spraying the particulate material.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a hopper and a chute integrated into the hopper to distribute a granular material onto a walkway. A diffuser is removably attachable to the chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through the diffuser. A handle is attached to the hopper thereby facilitating the handle to be gripped and a grip is pivotally attached to the hopper thereby facilitating the grip to be gripped. A blower is integrated into the hopper and the blower urges air toward the chute when the blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through the chute. In this way the blower distributes the granular material onto the walkway.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a salt dispersing assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure showing a funnel in a deployed position.

FIG. 3 is a right side view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken from line 5-5 of FIG. 3 of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new dispersing device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6 , the salt dispersing assembly 10 generally comprises a hopper 12 that has a chute 14 integrated into the hopper 12 thereby facilitating a granular material 16 placed in the hopper 12 to be released through the chute 14 to distribute the granular material 16 onto a walkway 18. The granular material 16 may comprise salt or other material that lowers the freezing point of water, sand or other granular material commonly deployed on icy walkways. Additionally, the walkway 18 may be a sidewalk, a driveway or other planar surface that is covered with ice. The hopper 12 has a bottom wall 20 and an outer wall 22 extending upwardly from the bottom wall 20, and the outer wall 22 has a front side 24, a back side 26 and a distal edge 28 with respect to the bottom wall 20. The distal edge 28 of the outer wall 22 defines an opening into the hopper 12 thereby facilitating the granular material 16 to pass through the opening 30 for filling the hopper 12.

The front side 24 slopes rearwardly toward the back side 26 between the bottom wall 20 and the distal edge 28. The chute 14 is integrated into the front side 24, the chute 14 is aligned with the bottom wall 20 and the chute 14 extends along a full width of the front side 24. The chute 14 has a distal end 32 with respect to the front side 24 and the distal end 32 is open for releasing the granular material 16. The chute 14 has an upper wall 34 and a lower wall 36, and the lower wall 36 lies on a plane that is coplanar with the bottom wall 20 of the hopper 12.

The hopper 12 has a dividing wall 38 extending between the bottom wall 20 and the distal edge 28 of the outer wall 22, and the dividing wall 38 is positioned closer to the back side 26 of the outer wall 22 than the front side 24 of the outer wall 22. The dividing wall 38 defines an electronics space 40 between the dividing wall 38 and the back side 26, and the dividing wall 38 defines a storage space 42 between the dividing wall 38 and the front side 24 of the outer wall 22 such that the storage space 42 receives the granular material 16. Furthermore, the dividing wall 38 slopes rearwardly such that the dividing wall 38 lies on a plane that is coplanar with the front side 24 of the outer wall 22. In this way the storage space 42 angles toward the chute 14 thereby facilitating the granular material 16 to be directed toward the chute 14. The dividing wall 38 has an air vent 44 extending through the dividing wall 38 and the air vent 44 is aligned with the bottom wall of the hopper 12.

The hopper 12 has a lip 46 extending rearwardly from the back side 26, the lip 46 is aligned with the distal edge 28 of the outer wall 22 and the lip 46 has a rear edge 47. A lid 48 is hingedly coupled to the hopper 12 for opening and closing the hopper 12. The lid 48 has a back edge 50 and a bottom surface 52, and the back edge 50 is hingedly coupled to the rear edge 47 of the lip 46 on the hopper 12. The lid 48 has a ridge 54 extending downwardly from the bottom surface 52 and the ridge 54 extends around a full perimeter of the lid 48. The bottom surface 52 rests on the distal edge 28 of the outer wall 22 of the hopper 12 having the ridge 54 abutting an inside surface 56 of the outer wall 22 when the lid 48 is closed. In this way the granular material 16 is inhibited from escaping through the opening 30 defined by the distal edge 28 of the outer wall 22 of the hopper 12.

A diffuser 58 is provided and the diffuser 58 is removably attachable to the chute 14 thereby facilitating the granular material 16 to pass through the diffuser 58. The diffuser 58 has a rear end 60, a front end 62 and an outside wall 64 extending between the rear end 60 and the front end 62, and each of the rear end 60 and the front end 62 is open. The outside wall 64 has a recess 66 extending around the outside wall 64 and the recess 66 is aligned with the rear end 60 such that the rear end 60 has a height and a width that is less than a height and a width of the front end 62. The distal end 32 of the chute 14 insertably receives the rear end 60 of the diffuser 58 such that the distal end 32 of the chute 14 abuts a threshold 68 of the recess 66. The chute 14 has a recess 70 that is integrated into the lower wall 36 of the chute 14. The recess 70 in the chute 14 accommodates the rear end 60 of the diffuser 58 when the rear end 60 is inserted into the distal end 32 of the chute 14. A plurality of vanes 72 is positioned in the front end 62 of the diffuser 58, and the vanes 72 are spaced apart from each other and are distributed across the front end 62.

A funnel 74 is hingedly coupled to the front end 62 of the diffuser 58 and the funnel 74 is positionable in a deployed position having the funnel 74 extending away from the diffuser 58 thereby facilitating the granular material 16 to pass outwardly through the funnel 74. Conversely, the funnel 74 is positionable in a stored position having the funnel 74 being displaced from the diffuser 58. The funnel 74 has a back end 76 and an exterior wall 78, and the back end 76 is hingedly coupled to the front end 62 of the diffuser 58 at a connection point 80 that is aligned with the exterior wall 78. The back end 76 is aligned with the front end 62 of the diffuser 58 when the funnel 74 is in the deployed position and the exterior wall 78 rests on the outside wall 64 of the diffuser 58 when the funnel 74 is in the stored position. Additionally, the exterior wall 78 tapers inwardly between the back end 76 and the front end 62.

A handle 82 is attached to the hopper 12 thereby facilitating the handle 82 to be gripped. the handle 82 has a first end 84 and a second end 86. The handle 82 is curved between the first end 84 and the second end 86, and each of the first end 84 and the second end 86 is attached to the back side 26 of the outer wall 22. A grip 88 is pivotally attached to the hopper 12 thereby facilitating the grip 88 to be gripped. The grip 88 has an upper end 90 and a front surface 92, and the upper end 90 is pivotally coupled to the bottom wall 20 of the hopper 12 at a connection point 94 that is aligned with the front surface 92. The front surface 92 has a plurality of depressions 96 that are spaced apart from each other and are distributed along a full length of the grip 88 to enhance gripping the grip 88. The grip 88 is positionable in a deployed position having the grip 88 extending downwardly from the bottom wall 20 and the grip 88 is positionable in a stored position having the grip 88 lying against the bottom wall 20.

A trigger 98 is movably coupled to the handle 82 thereby facilitating the trigger 98 to be manipulated into an engaging position and the trigger 98 is biased into a disengaging position. A blower 100 is integrated into the hopper 12 and the blower 100 is in fluid communication with an interior of the hopper 12. The blower 100 is directed toward the chute 14 and the blower 100 urges air toward the chute 14 when the blower 100 is turned on for urging the granular material 16 outwardly through the chute 14. In this way the blower 100 can distribute the granular material 16 onto the walkway 18. The blower 100 is positioned in the electronics space 40, the blower 100 has an intake 102 and an exhaust 104, and the exhaust 104 is aligned with the air vent 44. The blower 100 urges air inwardly through the intake 102 and outwardly through the exhaust 104 and outwardly through the air vent 44 when the blower 100 is turned on. As is most clearly shown in FIG. 5 , the blower 100 may include an electric motor 103 and a fan 105 that is rotated by the electric motor 103.

A power supply 106 is positioned in the electronics space 40 in the hopper 12 and the power supply 106 comprises at least one rechargeable battery 108. A conductor 110 extends through an interior of the handle 82 and the conductor 110 is electrically coupled between the power supply 106 and the blower 100. The trigger 98 is in electrical communication with the conductor 110 and trigger 98 completes a circuit between the power supply 106 and the blower 100 when the trigger 98 is urged into the engaging position thereby turning the blower 100 on. Conversely, the trigger 98 breaks the circuit between the power supply 106 and the blower 100 when the trigger 98 is urged into the disengaging position thereby turning the blower 100 off. As is most clearly shown in FIG. 4 , the trigger 98 includes a switch 112 that is integrated into the handle 82 and the switch is electrically coupled to the conductor 110 for turning the blower 100 on and off. The power supply 106 includes a charge port 114 that is integrated into the back side 26 of the outer wall 22 of hopper 12 thereby facilitating the charge port 114 to insertably receive a charge cord 116. The charge port 114 is electrically coupled to the power supply 106 for charging the power supply 106.

In use, the hopper 12 is filled with the granular material 16 and each of the handle 82 and the grip 88 is gripped for aiming the chute 14 toward the walkway 18. The trigger 98 is depressed to turn on the blower 100 thereby facilitating the granular material 16 to be blown outwardly from the chute 14 and onto the walkway 18. In this way the granular material 16 can be evenly spread across the walkway 18 in a timely and efficient manner. The hopper 12 can be refilled as many times as needed to cover the walkway 18 with a desired amount of the granular material 16. In this way ice and snow that has collected on the walkway 18 can be melted off to facilitate the walkway 18 to be safe for walking.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements. 

I claim:
 1. A salt dispersing assembly for distributing salt on a frozen walkway for thawing the frozen walkway, said assembly comprising: a hopper having a chute integrated into said hopper thereby facilitating a granular material placed in said hopper to be released through said chute wherein said hopper is configured to distribute the granular material onto a walkway; a lid being hingedly coupled to said hopper for opening and closing said hopper; a diffuser being removably attachable to said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said diffuser; a funnel being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser, said funnel being positionable in a deployed position having said funnel extending away from said diffuser thereby facilitating the granular material to pass outwardly through said funnel, said funnel being positionable in a stored position having said funnel being displaced from said diffuser; a handle being attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said handle to be gripped; a grip being pivotally attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said grip to be gripped; and a blower being integrated into said hopper, said blower being in fluid communication with an interior of said hopper, said blower being directed toward said chute, said blower urging air toward said chute when said blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through said chute wherein said blower is configured to distribute the granular material onto the walkway.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said hopper has a bottom wall and an outer wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said outer wall having a front side, a back side and a distal edge with respect to said bottom wall defining an opening into said hopper thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said opening for filling said hopper, said front side sloping rearwardly toward said back side between said bottom wall and said distal edge; said chute is integrated into said front side, said chute being aligned with said bottom wall, said chute extending along a full width of said front side, said chute having a distal end with respect to said front side, said distal end being open for releasing the granular material, said chute having an upper wall and a lower wall, said lower wall lying on a plane being coplanar with said bottom wall of said hopper; said hopper has a dividing wall extending between said bottom wall and said distal edge of said outer wall, said dividing wall being positioned closer to said back side of said outer wall than said front side of said outer wall, said dividing wall defining an electronics space between said dividing wall and said back side, said dividing wall defining a storage space between said dividing wall and said front side of said outer wall such that said storage space receives the granular material, said dividing wall sloping rearwardly such that said dividing wall lies on a plane being coplanar with said front side of said outer wall thereby facilitating said storage space to angle toward said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to be directed toward said chute; said dividing wall has an air vent extending through said dividing wall, said air vent being aligned with said bottom wall of said hopper; and said hopper having a lip extending rearwardly from said back side, said lip being aligned with said distal edge of said outer wall, said lip having a rear edge.
 3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said lid has a back edge and a bottom surface, said back edge being hingedly coupled to said rear edge of said lip on said hopper, said lid having a ridge extending downwardly from said bottom surface, said ridge extending around a full perimeter of said lid, said bottom surface resting on said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper having said ridge abutting an inside surface of said outer wall when said lid is closed thereby inhibiting the granular material from escaping through said opening defined by said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper.
 4. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said diffuser has a rear end, a front end and an outside wall extending between said rear end and said front end, each of said rear end and said front end being open, said outside wall having a recess extending around said outside wall, said recess being aligned with said rear end such that said rear end has a height and a width being less than a height and a width of said front end, said distal end of said chute insertably receiving said rear end of said diffuser such that said distal end of said chute abuts a threshold of said recess, said diffuser having a plurality of vanes being positioned in said front end of said diffuser, said vanes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed across said front end.
 5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein said chute has a recess being integrated into said lower wall of said chute, said recess in said chute accommodating said rear end of said diffuser when said rear end is inserted into said distal end of said chute.
 6. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein said funnel has a back end and an exterior wall, said back end being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser at a connection point being aligned with said exterior wall, said back end being aligned with said front end of said diffuser when said funnel is in said deployed position, said exterior wall resting on said outside wall of said diffuser when said funnel is in said stored position, said exterior wall tapering inwardly between said back end and said front end.
 7. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein: said handle has a first end and a second end, said handle being curved between said first end and said second end, each of said first end and said second end being attached to said back side of said outer wall; and said assembly includes a trigger being movably coupled to said handle thereby facilitating said trigger to be manipulated into an engaging position, said trigger being biased into a disengaging position.
 8. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said grip has an upper end and a front surface, said upper end being pivotally coupled to said bottom wall of said hopper at a connection point being aligned with said front surface, said front surface having a plurality of depressions being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along a full length of said grip to enhance gripping said grip, said grip being positionable in a deployed position having said grip extending downwardly from said bottom wall, said grip being positionable in a stored position having said grip lying against said bottom wall.
 9. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein said blower is positioned in said electronics space, said blower having an intake and an exhaust, exhaust being aligned with said air vent, said blower urging air inwardly through said intake and outwardly through said exhaust and outwardly through said air vent when said blower is turned on.
 10. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising: a power supply being positioned in said electronics space in said hopper, said power supply comprising at least one battery; a conductor extending through an interior of said handle, said conductor being electrically coupled between said power supply and said blower, said trigger being in electrical communication with said conductor, trigger completing a circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said engaging position thereby turning said blower on, said trigger breaking said circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said disengaging position thereby turning said blower off; and a charge port being integrated into said back side of said outer wall of hopper thereby facilitating said charge port to insertably receive a charge cord, said charge port being electrically coupled to said power supply for charging said power supply.
 11. A salt dispersing assembly for distributing salt on a frozen walkway for thawing the frozen walkway, said assembly comprising: a hopper having a chute integrated into said hopper thereby facilitating a granular material placed in said hopper to be released through said chute wherein said hopper is configured to distribute the granular material onto a walkway, said hopper having a bottom wall and an outer wall extending upwardly from said bottom wall, said outer wall having a front side, a back side and a distal edge with respect to said bottom wall defining an opening into said hopper thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said opening for filling said hopper, said front side sloping rearwardly toward said back side between said bottom wall and said distal edge, said chute being integrated into said front side, said chute being aligned with said bottom wall, said chute extending along a full width of said front side, said chute having a distal end with respect to said front side, said distal end being open for releasing the granular material, said chute having an upper wall and a lower wall, said lower wall lying on a plane being coplanar with said bottom wall of said hopper, said hopper having a dividing wall extending between said bottom wall and said distal edge of said outer wall, said dividing wall being positioned closer to said back side of said outer wall than said front side of said outer wall, said dividing wall defining an electronics space between said dividing wall and said back side, said dividing wall defining a storage space between said dividing wall and said front side of said outer wall such that said storage space receives the granular material, said dividing wall sloping rearwardly such that said dividing wall lies on a plane being coplanar with said front side of said outer wall thereby facilitating said storage space to angle toward said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to be directed toward said chute, said dividing wall having an air vent extending through said dividing wall, said air vent being aligned with said bottom wall of said hopper, said hopper having a lip extending rearwardly from said back side, said lip being aligned with said distal edge of said outer wall, said lip having a rear edge; a lid being hingedly coupled to said hopper for opening and closing said hopper, said lid having a back edge and a bottom surface, said back edge being hingedly coupled to said rear edge of said lip on said hopper, said lid having a ridge extending downwardly from said bottom surface, said ridge extending around a full perimeter of said lid, said bottom surface resting on said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper having said ridge abutting an inside surface of said outer wall when said lid is closed thereby inhibiting the granular material from escaping through said opening defined by said distal edge of said outer wall of said hopper; a diffuser being removably attachable to said chute thereby facilitating the granular material to pass through said diffuser, said diffuser having a rear end, a front end and an outside wall extending between said rear end and said front end, each of said rear end and said front end being open, said outside wall having a recess extending around said outside wall, said recess being aligned with said rear end such that said rear end has a height and a width being less than a height and a width of said front end, said distal end of said chute insertably receiving said rear end of said diffuser such that said distal end of said chute abuts a threshold of said recess, said chute having a recess being integrated into said lower wall of said chute, said recess in said chute accommodating said rear end of said diffuser when said rear end is inserted into said distal end of said chute, said diffuser having a plurality of vanes being positioned in said front end of said diffuser, said vanes being spaced apart from each other and being distributed across said front end; a funnel being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser, said funnel being positionable in a deployed position having said funnel extending away from said diffuser thereby facilitating the granular material to pass outwardly through said funnel, said funnel being positionable in a stored position having said funnel being displaced from said diffuser, said funnel having a back end and an exterior wall, said back end being hingedly coupled to said front end of said diffuser at a connection point being aligned with said exterior wall, back end being aligned with said front end of said diffuser when said funnel is in said deployed position, said exterior wall resting on said outside wall of said diffuser when said funnel is in said stored position, said exterior wall tapering inwardly between said back end and said front end; a handle being attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said handle to be gripped, said handle having a first end and a second end, said handle being curved between said first end and said second end, each of said first end and said second end being attached to said back side of said outer wall; a grip being pivotally attached to said hopper thereby facilitating said grip to be gripped, said grip having an upper end and a front surface, said upper end being pivotally coupled to said bottom wall of said hopper at a connection point being aligned with said front surface, said front surface having a plurality of depressions being spaced apart from each other and being distributed along a full length of said grip to enhance gripping said grip, said grip being positionable in a deployed position having said grip extending downwardly from said bottom wall, said grip being positionable in a stored position having said grip lying against said bottom wall; a trigger being movably coupled to said handle thereby facilitating said trigger to be manipulated into an engaging position, said trigger being biased into a disengaging position; a blower being integrated into said hopper, said blower being in fluid communication with an interior of said hopper, said blower being directed toward said chute, said blower urging air toward said chute when said blower is turned on for urging the granular material outwardly through said chute wherein said blower is configured to distribute the granular material onto the walkway, said blower being positioned in said electronics space, said blower having an intake and an exhaust, exhaust being aligned with said air vent, said blower urging air inwardly through said intake and outwardly through said exhaust and outwardly through said air vent when said blower is turned on; a power supply being positioned in said electronics space in said hopper, said power supply comprising at least one battery; a conductor extending through an interior of said handle, said conductor being electrically coupled between said power supply and said blower, said trigger being in electrical communication with said conductor, trigger completing a circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said engaging position thereby turning said blower on, said trigger breaking said circuit between said power supply and said blower when said trigger is urged into said disengaging position thereby turning said blower off; and a charge port being integrated into said back side of said outer wall of hopper thereby facilitating said charge port to insertably receive a charge cord, said charge port being electrically coupled to said power supply for charging said power supply. 